


Loyalties

by Soyna



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Angst, Gen, Stress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 17:52:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9835787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soyna/pseuds/Soyna
Summary: Rufus doesn't like being helpless.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Setting: After Advent and Dirge are all said and done.
> 
> This is an older story that I had never had migrate over to AO3, so I am correcting that.

Rufus was frozen in place as he looked at the large, purplish-blue demon towering over him. He didn't have any of the Turks around to protect him, and he was a little startled that it was Vincent that had come back to protect him … at least, he hoped Galian was going to.

Having to worry about a now ally ripping out his throat was not something that he thought he was going to have to worry about at the beginning of the day.

The arrangement for the small, informal conference was constructed by Reeve. The planned meeting was to have an outward and open discussion about the relationship between Shin-Ra and the WRO. Reeve had brought Vincent, as the ex-Turk was playing a rather large role in the rebuilding and transition from energy sources.

It was not something that he wanted to attend but he had conceded to the advice of Tseng, who said that it would be better for all involved to have things out in the open, and it wasn't like his existence was a secret anymore.

It meant that he would have to be out in public. He hated being stuck in the chair while everyone walked around. If they had only planned it for when he was having a good day, but today he was having a slip back in his health. He was dealing with his back aching with a heavy, dull throb and his hip joint would cease up, causing him to nearly collapse when he tried to walk with a normal gait. The combination of all his old injuries where effectively trapping him in his chair again. He no longer wrapped himself in a sheet, but sometimes he missed the covering that kept away the prying eyes from seeing the position that life placed him in.

He no longer hid, again the advice of Tseng, even though he didn't want anyone to see him in the chair if he could help it. He preferred to go out when his leg wouldn't collapse underneath him. He was feeling uncomfortable with the groups of able-bodied people walking around when he had to have the powerful Rude wheel him on the deck of the villa so that he could join the rest of the group. He protested, but really did not have a choice as he was seated by Vincent as the conversation continued for the planned prospects of growth, change and improvement.

Reeve was the one that was leading the conversation with Tseng at his shoulder for most of it. Reno was sitting on the sideline of the crowd looking bored. Most of what was being said was what had already been privately discussed.

Vincent was sitting stiffly beside him and took to fiddling with his gun as the day wore on.

Rufus was nervous when there was a lull in the conversation. He was not good with idle conversation and didn't know what to talk about until he noticed Vincent's gun. He had to admit that he always admired the large weapon. He was a little stunned but pleased when Vincent seemed to be enjoying the conversation. Rufus brought out his own gun, which was by no means the same calibre as Cerberus. He still considered himself a sharpshooter and announced so. Vincent had looked down at him with his red eyes and a crooked smile and spoke. "Prove it."

He was more than willing to show that just because he was in a chair, and that didn't make him any less of a man.

It became a scramble to figure out how to show who was the best. Vincent had said that if they had some skeets that would be the best way, as stationary targets were not enough of a challenge for a true sharpshooter. That was when Reno perked up with a quick yell and came back with a large box of multicoloured Frisbees.

"Yo, will these do?" Reno asked as he held up one from the box. Cait instantly bounced forward on to the ledge and offered to throw them for the gunmen to see who the best shooter was. Cait pulled out its megaphone and made the grand announcement before every Frisbee thrown and encouraged the small group to cheer them on.

They had been evenly matched until monsters arrived, seemingly attracted by the gunshots.

Rufus had made an effort to fight, but Tseng didn't give him a choice. He was grabbed and thrown in his chair and unceremoniously tossed inside the villa. He was hurt that they did not think he could handle the battle with the rest of them. He could handle a few odd monsters that crawled out of the ocean, just like the rest of them.

He got his chance to face some of the monsters as one found its way through the door.

He did not know what type of monster it was, but it was vicious, had large teeth and was quick. As soon as he raised his gun the strange monster opened it abnormally large mouth and suddenly he felt teeth grip him up to his elbow and pull him from his chair. His old injuries hindered him as he was pulled from his chair and dragged across the floor, as though he were nothing more than a puppet.

The monster let go of his hand and spit out his broken gun before turning to advance on him again, licking its strangely-coloured lips and looking at him as though he were a meal.

That was when for some reason Vincent –- or rather Galian - had been the one to come back to check on him instead of his trusted Turks.

The monster turned towards the demon and growled. Rufus thought for a moment that the monster looked upset that its meal was being disturbed.

Galian snarled right back and reached forward with its inhuman hands and effortlessly grabbed the monster's body and threw it out the window with a simple flick of the wrist.

Rufus wondered from the snarl on the demon's lips and how the large clawed hands twitched if it was going to finish the job that the monster started. Rufus couldn't find his voice to say anything, but frantically searched his suit for his phone to call one of his Turks to come and protect him. It made his heart drop when he felt broken pieces of plastic in the pocket where he normally kept the device.

He swallowed down the fear as Galian reached forward, and Rufus held up his bloody arm to shield himself. He had never encountered the other personas of Vincent and didn't know if it was still prone to attacking allies or not.

The demon took a lumbering step forward and that claw tried to grab him by the collar of his jacket. He was able to scurry away from the first attempt, but the demon was too quick. The second attempt got him firmly by the collar and the demon preceded to lift him so high that his feet were no longer on the ground

Galian sniffed him and growled deep in its throat.

"Vincent?" he finally got enough courage to speak, even though his voice sounded awfully weak to his own ears.

There was another screech and a monster showed its head in the broken window of the villa. Rufus was startled by the quick movements that ended up with him back in his chair and staring at the back of the demon that was protecting him from the attack.

It took a couple moments for him to gather his wits. He wrapped his injured arm and held it to his chest as the ex-Turk took care of the monster that never made it past the window frame.

He had to commend Tseng. He was right in saying that 'once a Turk, always a Turk', for even he thought that Vincent would never stand at his side, never mind the demons that his family had helped turn him into.


	2. Frequency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vincent continues to torment Rufus.

Six thousand hertz.

He knew the sound of that frequency well.

It was always in the back of his mind and sounding in his ears. There were some days when he didn't hear it, when there was activity going on and it could be pushed aside. Those were the days that he managed to get through it all and forget about the buzzing. Then there were the days that he could only hear the frequency. The buzz was louder on those days and it made it hard for him to hear what was going on around him.

He would resort to reading lips and he was getting quite good at it. He hated that the frequency had taken over his life.

At night it was always bad. He would play music beside his bed so that it would sometimes mask the frequency a little and allow him to sleep.

He had done so since he had become conscious after the attack of Diamond Weapon. The doctors told him that he should be grateful that he at least got some of his hearing back. When the frequency took over, he wished he was deaf.

There were times he had no choice but to take pills to allow him to sleep. He didn't like the medicine that the doctors prescribed him. He didn't like how odd he felt the next day and how time didn't seem to matter at that point. He would spend the day being slower after taking the pills. Tseng monitored the pills he would take and would also monitor to make sure he was sleeping well. The head of the Turks somehow ensured that his activities the next morning were kept to a minimum.

He hated having to live like this.

Rufus wished that covering his ears would stop the sounds, but it only made the frequency appear louder.

He had no music to distract his ears at the moment and the night air was nearly silent - it made him want to scream. He could hear hurried voices in the other room, but they only irritated him further.

He knew he should be in there talking and planning with the rest of them. He should be the one leading the conversation in dealing with the newest and yet unsurprising threat that had risen from the ashes of his empire to try to destroy the world. He was, after all, still the leader of Shin-Ra.

But he just couldn't.

Tseng had escorted him to the bedroom and told him to rest and placed the pills in his hand.

He didn't want to take the pills again. He already took them twice that week to sleep, and he had tried to hide from Tseng how tired he was.

But he noticed.

He always noticed.

Damn the man.

He could see his bedroom door start to open. He threw the blanket over his head and knew he was acting like a pouting child. It was just easier to pretend that Tseng didn't see how weary he was if he was covered with a blanket. He felt the bed dip with the weight of the person sitting on it.

Tseng probably thought he was sleeping, which was why he hadn't said anything yet. There had been gunfire today and combined with loud roaring engines and yelling men, the frequency was back with a vengeance. It was annoyingly loud. Loud noises always made it worse and Tseng was aware of that. He knew that was why he was tired and why he should have taken the pills instead of throwing them out.

"Hiding under a blanket only protects children from demons."

The voice was not Tseng's. It was deeper and richer than Tseng's and it caused him to jump a bit. It was not the voice that he would ever to expect to hear in his bedroom. He pulled the blanket down and saw Vincent sitting on the edge of his bed. He was staring at him with vibrant red eyes, and Rufus became a little nervous at the steady gaze.

"Why are you in my bedroom?" he whispered at the dark-haired man. The last person that he would ever think that would be there was Vincent Valentine.

They were on good terms since the incident at the Villa in Costa del Sol. When he attended the meetings with Reeve, Vincent would be there and they would have civil words, but that didn't mean that he thought the man was going to be in his bedroom.

And he knew all too well that the monsters that Vincent held inside him could not be held back by a sheet.

The corner of Vincent's mouth twitched slightly and he tilted his head to the side.

"Why are you here?" he demanded a little more loudly of the ex-Turk. "Shouldn't you be consulting with the others?"

"I came to ask you the same thing," Vincent said and with a tilt of his head added, "Do you let Tseng make all your decisions now?"

Rufus quickly sat upright and poked his finger right into the other man's chest. What gave him the right to make such comments? He knew it was defensive and childish, but he knew what Vincent said to be true. It didn't matter though, he had to defend himself. "I am still the President of Shin-Ra."

He was the leader.

Not Tseng.

"I have no doubts about that," Vincent said and grabbed his hand.

Rufus was a bit alarmed by the rather warm grip. He tried to pull away, but Vincent firmed his grip.

"Let go of me," Rufus demanded, but knew that the order would not be met by someone like Vincent who did not take instructions well.

Vincent was silent as his red gaze remained fixed on him.

Rufus tried to regulate his breathing so that he didn't seem like he was as nervous as he was becoming. He never liked to show weakness, but this situation was … odd.

He was about to make another demand to be let go.

"Galian was curious as to how the wounds healed," Vincent said as his eyes focused on Rufus' arm. It was currently covered with his normal nighttime clothing of silk pyjamas. The claw moved, while the other still held him firmly in place. The metal claw tugged at Rufus' cuff and started to move it up his arm to reveal his bare arm beneath. Rufus looked frantically around, wondering if Tseng or Reeve would show up and stop these odd antics from continuing.

He did not have his phone anywhere near him to press the panic button.

He no longer bothered to conceal that he was frightened. This was freaking him out as the dark-haired man focused rather intently on his arm.

"I healed fine," he whispered and tried to prevent his voice from cracking as he felt the metal fingers prod each of the little scarred grooves from the teeth of the monster. Vincent moved slowly up and down and examined his arm in a calculating manner.

"I see," Vincent whispered and then looked right at him. "You heal well, Mr. President."

He didn't respond back. He could still feel the metal on his skin, but those eyes had all his attention.

"You are lucky to have had such good medical care."

There seemed to be something in his voice as he spoke but Rufus didn't know what it was or what it meant. It disturbed him as his arm was suddenly released and Vincent stood.

"You should sleep, Mr. President," Vincent said in a mocking tone. "You will be needed in the morning."

He soundlessly walked to the door and left without even looking back.

He did notice one thing the whole time that Vincent was in his room. There was not once that he could not hear Vincent talking. His voice seemed to break through the frequency. It seemed to push aside and allow him to hear only the deep rumble that was Vincent's voice.

The frequency was so loud now that Vincent was gone.

He almost called Tseng to ask for his pills again, but decided against it as he lay stiffly back down in the bed. He could hear the rumbling of voices coming from the other room but being unable to make any sense of what they were saying … except when Vincent spoke. He could hear the man even with the blanket over his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tinnitus is what inflicts Rufus (and myself) It is a ""Ringing in the ears" or another noise that seems to originate in the ears or head. That doesn't go away! It is an infuriating infliction that is quite annoying. My ringing is at 6000 Hz… very annoying. I do read lips quite well because of it.


	3. Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus gets saved by Vincent again. Rufus may wish that he wasn't.

It could have been fatal. It was a lucky shot — or it was more that he was lucky that it hadn't killed him as it had intended.

The bullet had been meant for his heart and if he had not been pushed aside by the demon-bearing gunslinger, he would be in a coffin instead of an uncomfortable cot. Vincent said he heard it coming. He knew that was impossible, but it didn't really matter; he was alive.

The pain reminded him how alive he was.

He was alone in the cot in the retrofitted WRO ambulance. The rest of the group were hunting the group of attackers and the sniper that had shot at him. Tseng and Reno had tended to the wound in his shoulder and stuffed him neatly away from any more harm.

And for once he couldn't protest. Tseng had dug the bullet out of his shoulder and the pain killers were not as effective as Reno promised. He kept his hand on the bandage as he felt the throb of the wound match his heartbeat. He tried not to think that the wetness that was seeping through his bandage was his own blood.

He didn't hear who was left to guard him. He thought they said Rude, but he had a hard time focusing on what the others were saying between the pain and all the other noises that were around him at the time. It would explain why it was so quiet now and all that he heard was the buzzing in his ears.

He was almost wishing for noise to distract him from the pain, and he was sure that he was still in shock from the whole incident. Even his Kevlar-lined clothing had not protected him from the bullet. He remembered the shocked look on Tseng's face when he showed him that he was bleeding.

The door of the van opened and he was expecting to see the large, dark Turk enter to give him an update on the progress made, or maybe Tseng asking him if he was comfortable and doting on him again. He wouldn't have minded a little more attention to his condition at the moment.

He was not expecting to see a monster standing at the entrance of the van. The light was behind it and it gave it a wraithlike look. It was wearing ragged clothing and he could see that it had a chainsaw as a weapon.

He scrambled for his gun but he had no strength in his hand and his weapon fell uselessly to the floor with a loud clatter.

The creature's head followed the sound, and it gave a low, deep chuckle that broke through the silence and the buzzing in his ears in an almost painful manner. There was only one person's voice that he could always hear.

The monster leaned forward and fluidly started to move into the van. It placed its weapon on the floor and then glided further in. The movements were smooth, slow, and scary as hell. The demon raised a crooked leg into the van and its toes pointed inward in what should have been an awkward-looking gait, but every movement was smooth and calculated. It reached out an abnormally long arm and closed the van door behind itself

He called out to Rude, hoping that he was in the cab of the ambulance.

It was the monster that answered. "I am guarding you."

He tried to move but the act of sitting up set him into a dizzy spell and he was forced to lie back down in the cot. He had lost too much blood and now he had no way of defending himself from the monster that he was trapped with.

He could see it better now and was even more alarmed at the sight of the tattered clothing and the featureless face.

He shouldn't say featureless; there were eyeholes in the plain white mask.

It cocked its head to the side as it hunched itself down so that its head would not hit the roof, and it slid forward. "I need to see your wounds," it slowly drawled as it moved. The deep and dangerous voice broke through the buzzing in his ears and it made his chest tighten in fright.

"Vincent?" he whispered, hoping for a sane response.

The monster tilted its head for a moment as though it had to ponder the question. "No. He has no interest in your wounds. I do."

Rufus was in full panic mode now. The creature that was usually housed inside Vincent was beside him, looking down on him as though he were examining a map. A cold hand fell onto his shoulder, effectively pinning him down. The other hand started to probe the bandages that covered his fresh wound. It sent flares of pain through his whole body as he had to refocus on the strange demon.

"This one …" it spoke. The voice should have been muffled as it was coming from behind the mask, but it was clear and slow, almost as if it was bored. " … is fresh."

It leaned its head down and seemed to smell the blood, despite the fact that it had no nose on its featureless mask.

"What do you want?" he asked of the demon as it raised its head again. The eyes were vacant black holes that he could barely look at. He forced himself, despite his fear.

"You have …" It tilted its head with a dramatic pause. "… many injuries."

Rufus frantically was pressing the panic button on his phone. He had been since he had discovered that Rude was not the one they had left guarding him. He was worried that they would be so preoccupied with the attackers that they weren't paying attention to him. There should have been someone here by now.

Tseng was too efficient for that not to happen.

"Some," the demon's voice trailed off into a hum as its hand started to reach for his hip and rested there for a moment. He could feel the icy cold of his grip through his pants.

"Vincent," he pleaded. Vincent was strange, but he could be reasoned with. He had no idea how to deal with this demon.

Its hand moved down his leg and he tried to pull away from the touch, but the confines of the van and cot made it impossible for him to move from the grasp. Rufus hated that he started to shake and he had no control over it. The demon was domineering and the lack of expression was terrifying. "These …" It lowered itself so that its face was close to his stomach, "… are old." The face looked at him and he didn't know if it wanted an answer.

The icy hand squeezed his thigh. It continued to talk in its slow and deep tone. "Gaia gave you these." It squeezed harder. He couldn't help but hiss at the coldness and pressure of the touch. Rufus couldn't take his eyes off the expressionless face that was staring at him.

"You were meant to die when she gave you these."

The grip increased and he refrained from crying out at the touch. "Gaia has other uses for me," he spoke through clenched teeth. He hoped that the cold monster would back off now.

"It appears …" it rasped as it raised itself up and then looked at where its hand was resting. It took a slow breath and let out the last word of his sentence, "… so."

He watched the hand and was startled as he felt his pants being tugged at, and then the sound of tearing fabric. "What are you doing?" He gasped as he felt the coldness of the touch and felt the cool air in the van touch his skin as his pants were being ripped by the fingers of the demon. He wanted to scream for Tseng. He would rather deal with the oppressive Tseng than this monster any day.

"I must assess all your …" It paused to take another deep breath, but its hand did not. The fingers were tearing at his pants and baring his thigh to the night air. " … injuries."

"They have already been assessed!" Rufus yelled and tried to reach down to remove the hand from cutting his pants but the fingers dug into his bare skin.

"I," its voice boomed, "will be the judge of how they will be assessed!"

He faltered and shrank back into the cot at the voice. The featureless face was in front of his and if it had a nose, it would have been touching his.

"These injuries …" The cold hand kept tearing at the fabric around his hip and exploring the skin on his side. The touch was cold and sent shivers running through him. "… are still hurting, as does Gaia's wounds that you created for her."

The face moved back and Rufus let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"A lesson." It looked at his bared skin on his thigh and hip for a moment before it moved the hand that was still resting on his bloody shoulder to dance around his eye. He tried to move away from the grip but the other hand moved to grip his jaw firmly and hold him in place. He couldn't help but focus on the blood-tainted fingers. He fought the urge to close his eyes as he didn't want to appear any weaker than he already was.

But he couldn't look away from the blankness that stared, examined and judged him.

"But there is …" It released him and stood in an awkward-looking, pondering pose as it placed its bloody fingers over where the mouth would have been if it had one. Small, red smears appeared on the stark, white mask to give it illusion of bloody lips. "… more."

"More," Rufus repeated and swallowed painfully.

"Yes," it said as it unfolded its arms and grabbed his shoulders. He screamed as the cold touch on his hot wound sent pain racing through him as he was unceremoniously grabbed and flipped over as if he were nothing more than a doll. What little covering he had for clothing was torn from his body, and icy fingers roamed up and down his back and sides.

"Older than Gaia's," it said as it roamed its fingers over his shoulder blades and then down his spine. He could feel the sharpness of his fingers and was wondering if he was getting new scars because of it. He was too frightened to notice if he was being cut.

"They will be realized soon," the demon said and the hands left Rufus' back.

Rufus looked back as best as he could and saw the demon raise itself to the point where its head almost touched the roof.

Its focus was on the door and it had its weapon back in one of its hand.

It gave him a quick look and a tilt of its head. "Soon."

The door opened and a gun was the only thing that he saw. He could only hope that it was one of his Turks finally responding to his panic button call.

"Soon," the demon said before he turned towards the owner of the gun. The roar of the odd chainsaw filled the small confines of the ambulance and soon to be joined by the blasts of a gun.


End file.
